Choices
by wanttowrite
Summary: A divergance from my usual RS pairing.  It's my birthday present to myself.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

It's my birthday weekend and the one thing I asked for this year has been given to me. I get the whole day with no kid, no husband and nothing required of me to do! Hurray! Since my family has been so kind (my husband is a Morelli and Ranger rolled together type), I have decided to catch up on some writing. Building is a different tale to tell, but I had this thought... Thanks to Kate Manoso, who is exploring the Merry Men approach... and decided to try it out for size.

Happy Labor Day! Leslie

CHOICES

It finally happened. Wonder Woman met Mac truck. I found myself sprawled on the my bed, right leg weighted down by a cast from the knee down. God, I hated being immobile. This just sucked big time. As I was slowly gaining more consciousness, I realized that I wasn't alone. It wasn't Ranger, who as far as I knew was back in Miami. I don't think it was Tank either. There was no huge shadow taking over the room.

"Hey, Bomer, how's the leg feeling?" Ranger's medic Bobby asked.

That explains the cast. I didn't think I remembered the hospital. "What happened?" What else didn't I remember.

"It's okay, Steph. You broke your leg when you where taken out by the truck. Do you remember your skip?"

My skip? Oh yeah, Lula and I had decided to give Zach Griffins one more try. Wanted for car theft (it was his father's car), he skipped out on his bail by failing to show up for his court date. Lula and I had him cornered once at the mall, but he was pretty fast. I vaguely remember that she saw him come into the Cluck in a Bucket (the new place, the original had to be torn down). Luckily he didn't see us at first. I went up to him, started my spiel about the getting him rebonded out and that's when all hell broke loose.

Zach had decided that he really didn't want his chicken anyway. Lula made a grab for the box of chicken that he flung our way as he was racing toward the exit. I nearly slipped on the spilled pop on the floor, but managed to somehow save myself that disgrace. Before I realized I was doing it, I was in pursuit on foot. I chased Zach nearly a mile down the street, with gawkers stopping where they were to watch.

Luckily, since I started back on the Rangeman payroll, I managed to improve my workouts, increasing my endurance. Since both Ranger and Joe was sort of out of the picture in the bedroom department, I used the runs on the threadmill to release some pent-up energy. Between the treadmill and the tasty pastry offerings, I thought I was holding up pretty well.

Zach turned at a busy intersection and crossed against the light. I was so close to him I figured if I could just get a little closer, I would make a leap and take him down. I never really saw the F150 that tagged me from behind, but I remember that I felt it.

Bobby had been watching my face as I remembered the accident.

"Damn, I was so close too," I sighed and laid back against the pillows.

"Yeah, Griffins got away. The driver of the truck feels really bad. He called 911. Ram heard the call go out and had a feeling you were involved. I found you on the street. The paramedics realized that your leg was broken, so I went with you to the hospital."

"I don't remember any visit to the hospital," I frowned.

He was smiling. "That's because I covered my own ass and asked that they sedate you. I really didn't want to have to call for backup just to get you to the hospital. Damn, I would never live that down." He was still smiling about that.

I suppose I couldn't be but so annoyed, considering that I didn't remember much that happened. "Where's Lula?" And what happened to my chicken?

"She was here earlier. You've been out for a while. Damn good chase you gave, Steph. The guys are really impressed. All those evenings on the treadmill have really paid off." That last comment was said with a wink.

Yeah, well, whatever it takes. "I suppose Ranger knows about my latest escapade, and Joe?"

The guys had relegated our relationship to various forms of entertainment. While I could understand from a business perspective that I had to be classified as something on Ranger's books, Joe's total change in attitude was something I really couldn't understand.

"Yeah, they both know and they both are glad that it's me assigned to watch you and not them."

I didn't know if Bobby was kidding or serious, but somehow the choice of words hurt.

"Fine," I snapped at him. "Just fine."

Joe and Ranger had developed an unnatural alliance where I was concerned. I wasn't living with either one of them, but I wasn't exactly living without them either. Half the time, I stayed at the Rangeman apartments, the other half at my apartment. I very seldom found myself at Joe's anymore. I found out recently that he actually went on a date. Ranger was pretty much all business, but there were a few afternoons where he spent time with me and made me wonder where it was all headed. I know they both love me, and I know I love them, but I was starting to wonder if any of this was healthy.

During my mental wonderings, Bobby had left the room. He was returning now with my cell phone in hand. "Don't worry Mrs. Plum, she's doing well. I'm on duty to make sure that she doesn't fall or further hurt herself. Yes, she is. Here's your daughter." He handed my cell over.

"Hi Mom," I answered automatically, waiting for the lecture.

"Stephanie, I just needed to hear for myself that you're all right. Joseph called last night and explained that you were hit by a truck and suffered a broken leg. Your grandmother wanted to come over and sit with you, but Joseph said that Ranger had taken caren of getting you a nurse. That's awlfully nice of him. I supposed you know that he will want something in return. Honestly, Stephanie, how do you get yourself into these messes."

I think I kind of zoned out after that 'something in return' comment. I was thinking of how if Ranger wanted sex in return for having Bobby take care of me, I could seriously consider it right now.

My mother was winding down.

"Mom, I'm fine now. I just can't get around. Joe's right. Grandma doesn't need to worry. Bobby will take care of me and as soon as I'm mobile, I'll come over for dinner." I hung up after promising to call soon to update her on the progress of my leg. Looking at the blue cast on my leg (and whose idea was the blue?), I started wondering myself exactly how long I was laid up for.

"Bobby," I shouted. He came from the living room. "How long do I have to wear this thing?"

Bobby smiled. He had a really nice smile. "You're in it for six weeks, Steph. Luckily, I was a simple break. You hit your head on the way down, leaving a scrap on your face, but you don't have a concussion."

I thought about my injuries. "You showed up at the scene alone?" That wasn't standard procedure.

"No, Lester was with me. Lula told him about the skip. He went after him once you were loaded into the ambulance. Man, if he caught the guy, Griffins won't look too good once he gets to booking."

I frowned over that one. "What do you mean?"

"Lester was royally pissed that you were injured. He ran out of the truck before I could even come to a stop. He muscled his way through the crowd, found Lula with you and then checked over your injuries himself. I've never seen him so mad. He asked Lula what happened. She explained that she had followed you by car and saw the truck hit you. Luckily, it wasn't going fast, just kind of starting through the intersection, but it was enough to send you flying into the street. You were actually lucky that you weren't hit again."

Damn, I thought, I'm glad I don't remember that. Sounds pretty painful.

Bobby placed a tray on the bed. "I brought you some food. You've been out a while, but from what I've heard about your sleeping habits, not an unusually long time. Eat something before you go under again," he commanded.

I glanced at the tray. Okay, it was reasonable. There was the usual bagel and fruit, but there was also a couple of donuts and coffee. I grabbed a donut. "What time is it anyway?"

Bobby checked his watch. "It's about two o'clock."

Okay, so I'm having breakfast at two. I should be getting lunch at six and dinner at eleven. Who am I kidding. I'm going back to sleep. This was turning out to be a really miserable day anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Now I have my coffee, my croissant and my plan for the day. I am really hyped up about it, but before I go and conquer my to-do list, we all need to learn about Stephanie's choices.

Choices, Chapter 2

Something was nagging at the corner of my brain. Like a buzzing mosquito, it fluttered around my head, making me toss and turn. There was a weight that I couldn't move. My leg was heavy, too heavy to lift. Zap, that buzzing hit me between the eyes and they flew open.

It was night and I wasn't alone. "Bobby?"

"No, honey, not Bobby," a voice answered. The voice belonged to Lester.

Lester was known to be a ladies man, but I only ever saw him with women when we were doing our distraction thing. He was tall, taller than Morelli or Ranger, and of obvious mixed race. His face had a sculptured look that seemed to destine him for modeling, but his body was one of fighter. I had seen him in the gym quite frequently, boxing or sparring with the other guys. I saw him land punches on both Tank and Ranger, although both matches appeared to end in a draw. He was definitely built, but in a way different from Ranger, different from Morelli. The light bulb blinked over my head. He was more like the two of them combined. His hair was straight and his eyes dark. I could see him in the shadow now.

"Hey, you're finally awake," he smiled down on me as he turned on the lamp on the nightstand.

"I need to check your eyes. You took quite a tumble in the street. Bobby thinks you're okay, but if you hadn't woken up by now, I would have had to make you wake up."

I was temporarily blinded by the light, but could hear the teasing in his voice. "And exactly how would you have done that?" I teased right back.

"Honey, I can be very persuasive when I want to be." His voice was deep and yet silky at the same time. There was an accent, but in all the time I've known him, I could never figure out where it was from. Of course, I never cared enough, apparently, to ask him directly. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh. Actually, many of the Merry Men scared the crap out of me. They've never done anything to make me even think twice about them, but just looking at them was pretty damned intimidating. Right now, Lester was a different sort of intimidating. You'd have to be unconscious to be this close to him and not notice how sexy he was. Was it some of requirement for the job?

Lester laughed. "Not that I know of," he finished.

Oh Jesus, I said that out loud. Talk your way out of it Steph, you can do it. "You startled me, that's all."

Lester sat on the bed, looking into my eyes. Oh yeah, he had to check my pupils or something. It was a professional task, not that the smoldering look in his eyes meant anything. When did he get to be so good looking? Why hadn't I noticed him before?

"You were always too preoccupied with Ranger or the cop," he answered my supposedly unasked question.

I asked that one out loud too. "Sorry," I replied.

"Don't be Stephanie. I've watched you with those two for a long time now. I know that in your own way, you love both of them, but you can't tell me that those relationships are very fulfilling. I know the boss; I know how he is. He's not going to change, Honey. He is what he's been made."

I swallowed hard. I knew he was right. Ranger was Ranger. Enough said. He took what I gave, more if he could get away with it, but there wasn't anything long term in the future. Morelli was a different story. He promised long term, promised more than that. He promised what I wasn't sure I wanted. I couldn't see Morelli living with my choice of careers, without a family.

"Since when did you become so talkative? Isn't there something in the Rangeman contract about not divulging information?" I was being snippy and I knew it.

Lester just smiled and positioned himself to lean back on the bed. Before I realized what was happening, he had me laying against his side, my head on his shoulder.

"You're irritated and you have a right to be. Ranger called to check on you and will call you again tomorrow. It's late now. You've slept the day away. The cop called as well to check on you."

I sniffled against his shoulder. "Yeah, but did anyone stop by?"

I was listening to Lester's heartbeat. "Your dad stopped by. He looked in on you sleeping and kissed your forehead. It was a really touching moment."

Thank you Daddy. The one man I can count on.

"You're wrong there, Bombshell. You can count on me." He whispered the words against my hair. "We might not always understand it, beautiful, but you are a part of our world. A part of my world. You have no idea how much I look forward to seeing you at the office, even if I know you don't see me."

That sounded kind of sad, I thought. Why hadn't I seen him, I mean really seen him. Of course, the answer was Ranger. When he entered the room, I was generally blinded to anyone and anything else.

"I'm really sorry," I offered. "I didn't know how my working at Rangeman made you feel. You're a great guy, Lester. If only some of the stories that I have heard about you are true, you'd be a fine catch for any woman."

He tensed. "I don't want just any woman, I want you. I've watched you as I said. Watch for too long as you struggled with relationships that wouldn't or couldn't go anywhere. Well, I am going for broke and asking you now, while I have you captive, if you would go out with me."

My turn to tense up. What does one say to something like that? I hadn't really dated anyone other than Dickie. You really can't call anything that happened in my relationship with Joe as a date. Even my evenings with Ranger generally started with work. It might kind of be nice to just go out.

Instinctively, I snuggled up against him. He felt nice. He was hard and warm at the same time. His arm was wrapped protectively around my shoulders. I realized that he was handing me a glass and I moved up a bit to free myself to take it.

"What's this?" He handed me two pills.

"Bobby said for you to take these when you wake up. They're for pain. Not too strong, but enough to keep the worst of it at bay."

I swallowed the pills. "They won't put me back to sleep again will they?"

"Nah, you'll be awake for awhile yet. I am betting that you're pretty hungry by now."

My stomach picked that moment to confirm his suspicions. "Yeah, I guess I am."

He lowered me back on the pillows and set off for the kitchen. I was just getting settled when he reappeared with the tray I had earlier this morning. This time, it held two halves of a meatball sub.

"I kept it warm for you," he explained, settling the tray over my lap. I picked up the first half and dug in. It was heavenly.

"Honey, you keep moaning like that and the neighbors will have a field day. Good for my rep though."

I smiled at him. I kind of never know when I am making those noises while eating, but it never fails to happen around one of Ranger's men. Maybe that's because they are the ones who sneak me in the fatty foods I love.

"Hey, that's why you guys are always so helpful with the Pinos and donuts, isn't it. You like the sound effects." I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or not.

"You got it, baby. We contribute to your addiction just to get a rise out of you." His wink told me he meant that in more than one way.

"Just another way of being entertainment," I sighed. The thought was actually depressing.

Lester came to sit beside me, grabbing the other half of the sub. "Bombshell, you're not just entertainment to us. I understand that it might appear that way, but you bring something to our world that we didn't even realize was missing. You're smart, beautiful, warm and sensitive. You look at us and see us for real, not like others do. You care enough to know our names, to be a part of what we do. There aren't many women who would do that."

I considered what he told me. I guess I could understand about the seeing them part. All of Ranger's employees were big men. Big men with rather large assets. I had seen them in bars and knew how most women responded to them. I mean, maybe for a while it wouldn't be a difficult thing to deal with, but after some time, it had to be a pain to have women fall at your feet.

Lester chuckled. "You have no idea. But it isn't really like that most of the time. The women who throw themselves at you are looking for a good time. We tend to scare the women who might be looking for a relationship. It's kind of hard to find your true love if you can't get them over what you do for a living, if they can't get past the image."

I think I understood. "Like what Ranger says about his life no lending itself to relationships?"

Lester grew serious. "It isn't that our lives prevent us from having relationships necessarily, it is just that we have to be more careful. Over the years, we have all done things, met people, that could come back to haunt us. We have to be careful that our past doesn't bleed all over our futures."

I wondered about his choice of words. "That's true for a lot of people, Les. We all have skeletons in our past to deal with."

"Yeah, but most people's skeletons aren't armed and dangerous."

He did have a point there.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lester and I chatted (can you believe a Rangeman employee is capable of that?) for the next hour. He was actually not revealing much, just kind of trying to feel me out about the possibility of a date. I was on the fence. On one hand, he was a great guy by all appearances and I didn't have a reason not to see him. On the other hand, he worked for Ranger and it might get awkward.

"Les, what about Ranger? If we go out, how do I know he won't take it out on you?" We were still in our reclining positions on the bed. I had only moved once to hobble into the bathroom and needed help to get back into position in bed. The darn cast was heavy!

"Ranger wants you to be happy most of all, Steph. I don't think he's considered that any of the guys would make a move on you, but I don't think he's the kind to retaliate too much. If you're happy, he'll be fine with it."

I wished I could believe that. I had seen how Ranger reacted to Joe. He could care less about my ex, Dickie, because there's no competition there, but what about one of his own?

"We should wait until I get this cast off," I offered. "I heard you're a great dancer."

Lester smiled brightly. "You have no idea. But I don't want to wait. I have a captive audience here. The situation is in my favor. How about I make dinner for you tomorrow right here. Bobby is coming over in a few minutes to relieve me. I don't want to go, but I have some work at Rangeman. Can we call it date tomorrow night?"

I didn't even realize what time it was. Lester and I had been totally absorbed in talking. It was nearly midnight and he had the late shift.

"I'm sorry Lester, I didn't realize it was so late. You never got any sleep. You're going to be exhausted."

That comment earned me a hug. "Don't worry about me, honey. I'm used to running on little sleep. I'll let you go back to bed and I will see you tomorrow night. Bobby should be here any minute. Close you eyes. Dream of me, okay?" He kissed the top of my head.

I wouldn't mind dreaming of him. Unfortunately, the dreams that I had were dark and ominous.

I was running. The street was dark and someone was following me, but I couldn't see who it was. I don't usually dream. This one was so vivid, so real. I was breathing hard, panting even. I heard the footfalls getting closer and closer. I wanted to scream for help, but I didn't know who to call for. Joe was out of touch with me; Ranger was out-of-town. I didn't have backup. You always needed backup. Why was I in the dark alone?

Hands grabbed my arms. They were shaking me. I screamed and screamed. I heard a voice telling me to open my eyes. I wasn't sure it was safe.

"Stephanie, wake up. Open your eyes now. Bobby continued to shake my arms.

"Bobby," I whispered. My voice was slightly hoarse from screaming. "What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare. I had a hard time waking you up." He voice and face were full of concern. "Want to talk about it?"

"No, I want a shower. Can you help me fix it so that I can take a shower?" I was struggling to get out of bed.

"Steph, hold on," Bobby said. "Let me fix the cast first."

He left the room and after a few minutes came back with a plastic bag and tape. He carefully taped the bag, and the helped me to the bathroom.

"I can take it from here. Thanks," I said as I closed the bathroom door. I looked in the mirror. Oh no, frizz alert. The hair was everywhere. That scrape on my face turned out to be a major road rash with bruising to add to the color. I carefully removed my clothes and entered the shower. The hot water felt wonderful and had a way of helping to chase away the nightmare. I couldn't stand too long anyway so it was a short shower.

I fixed my hair into a ponytail a the back of my head and threw on the robe that was waiting on the back of the door. When I opened that door, I noticed the Lester was now sitting on my bed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and hobbled over to the bed at the same time.

"Heard you had a nightmare. Thought maybe we should talk about it. Sometimes help to talk after a traumatic event."

He looked so tired. His eyes were drawn, dark and moody even. "It isn't like that. It wasn't about the accident."

"What was it then?" He obviously wasn't going to give up.

"I think it more about being a victim who needed to be saved. I really don't want or need to talk about it." I settled onto the bed beside him. "Bobby shouldn't have called you."

"Don't give me that shit, Steph. I told him to call if you needed anything. He and I both think you need to talk. Either you talk to me or you talk to Bobby. What will it be?" He was irritated and made no attempt to hide it.

"What's with you guys? You never want to talk. Why now?"

"Because you need to, that's why. You've been through a lot lately, more than you probably realize. I heard about the cop dating. That's got to get to you."

Zing. That struck hard. I swallowed and leaned back on the pillows, painfully aware that all I had on was the robe. Hopefully I didn't flash too much getting into bed. Lester stood up and went to my dresser. He pulled out a faded, long night shirt.

"Put this on and I will be right back."

"Where are you going?" I don't know why I felt panicked.

"I'm going to tell Bobby to go home. I'll stay here. Cal is filling in for me at control. Right now, you're the most important thing."

Wow, that actually felt nice to hear. Lester was being very kind and very cautious at the same time. He wanted to push, I could feel it, but he wasn't going to unless I gave him no choice. I had been in the same situation with Morelli a hundred times.

He came back in just in time to see me attempt to crawl back into bed. "Here, let me help you. I'll move the cast for you."

Once I was settled in, I decided that maybe he was right, maybe I should talk. "Lester, I don't know exactly why I had that dream, but it started me thinking while I was in the shower. The dream was about needing to be rescued. This time, there was no one there to help me. Ranger and Joe were off doing their own thing. It was up to me to get away from the danger. The thing is I wasn't sure I could save myself."

Lester crawled into bed with me. "You feel abandoned somehow by Ranger and Joe?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, in a way. I don't blame them. I seem to find myself in trouble far too often. I hate it that I'm a magnet for crazies, but I don't want to stop being a bounty hunter. Of all the things that I've ever done, it's the one thing that makes me feel good about myself. Granted, everyone else thinks I'm loony but I think I can do it."

Lester arm closed around my shoulders. "Steph, you can and have done it. You're actually good at what you do. You've got great instincts and think clearly, most of the time." That last part was added with a smile. "And I know for a fact that neither Ranger nor Morelli have deserted you. They care about you and would be there to help you if you needed it. Having said that, I still wish it was me that you ran to for help. I'll always be there for you."

I was feeling pretty cozy right about now and probably only half way heard what he said. "Les, you're the best," I sighed snuggling closer to him. I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"Steph, you're the best. One of these days I am going to prove it to you." He sighed and closed his eyes to sleep.

I woke to nature's call and struggled to figure out a way to keep from waking Lester and yet get this stupid cast off the bed. My first attempt failed and resulted in my cast coming down over Lester's knee.

"Ouch, honey. That's rough," he murmured in a dreamy, sleepy voice.

"Les, I need to get up now," the urgency in my voice was evident.

He pushed himself off the bed and helped me hobble into the bathroom. I watched him head toward the living room as I closed the door. I finished all the necessary things and hobbled back to the living room, dumping myself onto the couch as if I just finished a marathon. This darn cast was heavy.

"Here's your coffee," he offered, handing me the mug. "Hope I fixed it right."

The coffee was fine. "Why did you spend the night?" I was grateful he had as I slept like a baby.

"If I hadn't, I would have worried about you all night anyway. This way we both get some sleep." He took the chair across from me and settled in. His face was shadowed and his eyes still wore dark circles underneath, yet he was positively sexy. Sometime during the night, he had removed the shirt he was wearing when we went to bed. I noticed now that the pants were actually sweats.

"Was that what you were wearing last night?" I asked over the coffee cup.

"Got up and changed during the night. It was warm in your bed." There was a twinkle in those dark eyes now. "You were all over me during the night, honey. It's amazing that I maintained control."

"Sorry," I blushed. "I guess I must move around a lot when I sleep."

"No, you settled on me and didn't move much the whole night. I had to move you over to change clothes, but once I got back in bed, you moved right back to my side. I'm not complaining."

God, that's embarrassing. Here's someone I don't even know well commenting about how I slept all over him.

"Don't worry, Steph. I'm more than happy to give you the chance to know me a lot better," he offered, shooting me a very sexy smile.

"Yeah, well that's what I'm worried about," I replied. This man could be trouble. He was dangerous like Ranger, yet comfortable like Joe. He was a force in his own right and one that could roll right over me if I wasn't careful. I was beginning to see that he could be, in a way, my perfect choice.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As if he could read my mind, Lester came over to where I sat and kissed my cheek.

"We'll take this one step at a time, okay?" He whispered against my cheek. All I could do was weakly shake my head. "I'll going to take a shower."

He left me sitting there imaging him in my shower, using my soap and towels. I had visions of him standing there dripping wet. Hot visions. Hot, sexy visions. Okay, Okay, I thought. Let it go.

The thing was I felt something toward him. Something that I know wasn't just mild interest. He was sexy and desirable, sure, but it went deeper than that. I hated myself for comparing him to Ranger and Joe, but the comparisons were pretty obvious, kind of hard to ignore.

I heard the water shut off and started to imagine him toweling dry. My hormones were getting the better of me. I wasn't sure what I would do now that the long showers were out of the question for six weeks. I looked at the stupid blue cast. My leg throbbed mildly. I tried to lift it up to the coffee table, but the thing was heavy and I was feeling pretty weak. I have no idea what medicine Bobby gave me, but it left me feeling helpless. That wasn't a feeling I enjoyed.

"Let me help you prop up that leg," Lester offered. His hair was damp, but the shadow of a beard I saw this morning was gone. He had a beautiful coloring. He wasn't as dark as Ranger, but he had wonderfully golden skin. His hair was dark brown, bordering on black and his eyes were a light brown.

As he propped a pillow under my leg and laid it carefully on the table, I looked at him once more. "Lester, what nationality are you?"

He smiled back at me. "Several, but I simply refer to myself as American. I have Latino blood, Irish blood and some Native American. Figure I can claim it all if I want." He sat down on the couch beside me. "You, I hear, are Hungarian and Italian. Sounds like a lethal combination."

I had to laugh, thinking of my father and my grandmother. Put those two in a room and the words lethal combination do spring to mind. I told him so.

"The guys are afraid of your grandmother. She's a real piece of work. You two are a lot alike," he explained as he rested his arm around my shoulder. "I bet that woman isn't afraid to try much. You get your spunk and tenacity from her."

Grandma Mazur was certainly one-of-a-kind, at least that's what my father hoped. She loved life and didn't let anything or anyone stop her from doing what she wanted. She was game for anything, and I do mean anything. I suppose if given a choice, I would want to be like her when I'm her age.

"I suppose we can call last night our first date," I smiled up at him. "Thanks for staying with me. It means a lot to me to know you care. I guess I overreacted to yesterday. I'm not used to waking up from one of my little episodes to find neither Ranger or Joe in the room with me. I guess that kind of brought it home that I was on my own. Like the dream."

"But you're not on your own. I'm here. Bobby's here for you. You don't have to be alone unless its something you want. As far as our first date, last night wasn't it. Tonight, however, will be. We'll call last night the first time we slept together. Kind of like the ring of that one." He winked at me.

"So what are we going to do tonight. I can't move around very well yet. What the heck did Bobby give me anyway? I feel like my body isn't communicating with my head."

"That's just a side effect of the pain medication. He explained it to me. Today, if you feel like trying, we can stick to OTC stuff."

I nodded that this was acceptable and went back to my coffee. We sat in silence for a while.

My mind was wondering off into areas like 'why is Lester interested' and 'what will Ranger have to say about this' and 'Where the hell is Joe'. It was all so confusing.

"Okay, Steph, I can hear your thoughts. Woman, you broadcast like a radio tower. Let's talk it out. Here and now, Steph." Lester was using his 'persuasive' voice.

"There's just so much I don't know. Maybe never knew about Ranger and frankly the thought of getting involved with one his men is a bit scary too," I started, not daring to look at him.

"Okay, that's progress. You at least admitted to thinking of getting involved with me."

I had to smile. "Who said it was you?" I can be such a tease.

Lester growled. "Honey, I'm the only one you will ever need. I plan on proving that to you in every way I can think of."

I chanced a look at him. Damn, he is pretty. His eyes were darker now, hinting at the raw sexuality that he usually contained behind the Rangeman mask. I had seen it before on the dance floor. Lester could move; he could excite.

"Sounds like a challenge to me," I barely managed to whisper. In seconds, I was caught up in a mind-blowing kiss that rattled my senses. His mouth was pure mastery as it possessed mine and drove the next conscious thought away. I might have felt his hands on my arms, but wasn't sure. I was lost in the sensation of his hot mouth.

He pulled away. "Shit, I hadn't intended to do that, Honey. I'm sorry. I could never resist a challenge," he tried to explain.

I was shocked, but not necessarily speechless. "I don't' need an apology, unless that's how you treat every challenge. I won't be just another conquest, Lester. I can't handle that."

He whipped around to stare at me. "Is that what you think? That I could or would treat you like some pick-up? I don't deserve that, Stephanie. I don't deserve to have you label me because of some rep that's being given me. I'm careful about who I sleep with. I may appear to play the field, but you have to understand that it goes with the job. It's not who or what I am. I had hoped you knew that. Guess that's just one more thing that we have to talk about."

I was once again shocked, but this time nearly speechless. "Lester, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Hell, let's face it, I don't know you very well."

He took in a deep breathe. "How about we change that? You ask the questions and I'll answer them. I don't want there to be any unanswered questions between us."

He settled down on the couch after bringing in a breakfast of my favorites. We played the typical 20 questions and enjoyed many laughs over the answers. Lester was pretty inventive with his questions. He learned things about me that I had hoped to keep secret. I learned things about him that increased my respect for him. He's very talented in a lot of areas that I would not have given him credit for. I learned that he owned a townhouse that he was renovating himself. He didn't live there yet, but preferred to stay at the Rangeman apartments because of the all construction. He promised to show me the place. We talked for a couple of hours, breakfast long past us. I had to take a couple of bathroom breaks and noticed that my hobbling was actually working a bit better. I didn't sound so clunky as I had and didn't hit the wall once the last time out.

Lester was in the kitchen when I came back from my last trip. He called out to me, "Lula called. She's on her way over. You might want to get dressed. Let me know if you need any help."

I turned right around and headed to the closet. Shirts were easy enough, but I had no idea what to do with the pants. Even my sweat pants couldn't be pulled over the cast. I was standing at the door to the closet pondering this problem when a pair of sweat pants appeared before me.

Lester was behind me offering a pair of his pants. "They will be long, but they're bigger so that they can stretch over the leg. Try them on."

He watched as I sat on the bed and began to pull on the sweats. I was only wearing panties and the shirt that I had chosen, so it was a bit of a show. I looked up to see his eyes intent on me and could see them growing darker as I watched him.

"Stephanie, even with a cast, you're absolutely beautiful. I can't believe that I'm standing here imaging ravishing you with a cast on, but damn, it's a great visual."

I blushed. I didn't want him to know that my thoughts were starting to run in that direction as well. He put a shirt on and yet it did nothing to hide the muscled chest underneath it. He was hot, clothes or not clothes. Right now, he was also in an aroused state that made me lick my lips.

Lester groaned. "I've got to get out of here or Lula's in for one hell of show."

I swallowed roughly. "I'm not that easy, you know."

Lester turned around. "Honey, no one ever said you were easy, but I am willing to bet my life that you're worth whatever it takes. I've been watching you for years, waiting and hoping for a chance to make you mine. I'm telling you right now, Steph. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to make you understand what a relationship can be like and how it can work. You're going to see me, honey, as your best and only choice. You can that to the bank."

Oh my God, I was nearly done for. I watched him walk out of the bedroom before I threw myself back on the bed. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. I didn't know how I could face him now. He had thrown down the gauntlet and was letting me know that he wanted me in a way that meant more than sex, more than friendship. The question was, could I handle that? I had a hard time juggling that things as part of a relationship, but a part of me wanted to learn how. Maybe Lester was the man who could help me convince the other part.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Girl, look at you. Man, Ranger is gonna be pissed that you're hurt. Good to see that you have some protection. That Lester is fine," Lula was rambling as she sat on the chair across from me. "I guess this means that you're out of the FTA business for a while. Damn, I was liking that break from filing. Think Vinnie will let me take more files now?"

I smiled at Lula. She was a force when properly motivated. "Why not? Ask Connie if you can take some of my files. See what you can do, but remember, no guns Lula. You don't need to get yourself arrested."

Lula laughed. "I could always call my man Tank as backup. Damn, we might actually catch someone too!"

Lula had been dating Tank for quite a while and the relationship showed promise. While Lula never said anything, I suspected that she secretly wanted Tank to commit. Tank seemed to be more outgoing since he started to date Lula. They actually enjoyed each others company, and for more than just sex.

Lester was sitting in the dining room, working on his laptop. Lula talked on as if he wasn't there. "Girl, I heard about Officer Hottie's latest date. He found himself a nurse. They were seen last night at Rossini's. How you feel about that?"

Zing. It kind of hurt, but I wasn't really ready to admit it. I could feel Lester's eyes on me now as well. "Joe's free to do what he wants. He's still my friend and I want him to be happy." Okay, I got through that pretty well.

"Yeah, well maybe," Lula offered, "but what with Batman away, it must have been pretty rough not having the cop to lean on. Good thing that Batman made sure you were covered. You can also thank my man, Tank, for that one."

We both knew that Ranger had tracking devices on me and whatever vehicle I was driving. I think he did it to make himself feel better, because I really wasn't too keen on having my movements followed. "Yeah, tell him I said thanks."

Lula and I continued to chat about girl type stuff for another half hour until she announced that she had to go to the office. "Okay, well give my best to Connie. Tell her I'll be in as soon as I can manage."

Once Lula left, I felt a bit vulnerable with Lester. I'm not sure why, but I didn't want to fact him.

"Honey, don't be that way," he stated flatly.

"What way?" Denial was my friend.

"You're sitting there trying to figure out some way of avoiding me. Don't do that," he explained.

How did he know? Why couldn't I master that blank face thing that the guys could pull off.

"Stephanie, you don't have to hide your feelings with me or any of the guys. We've watched you over the years and know that the breakup with Joe and then Ranger's leaving have taken a toll. I know they have," he added emphatically. "No one's asking you to pretend that it doesn't hurt."

I couldn't help it. I started to cry.

"Oh, baby, I wish I could do something to make it better, but this is part of the healing," he soothed my hair, whispering softly against it.

I tried to hold back the tears. "How did you get to be so philosophical? Doesn't quite fit the Rangeman image, does it?"

"I'm not total Rangeman. It's a job, a damn good one, but a job. Ranger and the guys are like family, I won't deny that. I would take a bullet for any of them, but I don't breathe the job. I'm not Ranger, Steph. I'm not trying to be."

I looked at him through my wet lashes. He wasn't Ranger. He wasn't Joe. He was different. It was that difference that felt so comforting right now. "I'm sorry if I've been comparing you to Ranger. I know you're not him. I don't want you to be. If you were Ranger, you wouldn't do relationships and right now, I want to try to find out what a real relationship is all about. Les, I want to date and talk and discover each other. To be honest, I'm probably not very good at any of it, but I would love to try."

"Then we try it out," he answered, giving me a hug.

That was six weeks ago. Today was the end of the cast day and I was nearly giddy with excitement.

"I want this damn thing off," I demanded of the doctor.

"Don't worry, it won't take long," he explained, taking out a saw.

I nearly freaked when I saw him start to remove the cast. I did freak when I realized how withered and hairy my leg was. The doctor explained that the leg would be weak and I needed to baby it for a while, but that the bone had healed exactly as it needed to. I was released from the doctor and met outside by a smiling Lester.

"Hey, Sweetheart, you're totally mobile now. Give it another week and we go dancing."

He was standing against his truck, sunglasses on, looking both outrageously sexy and seriously dangerous at the same time.

I couldn't help myself. I moved up against him, positioned my hands to either side of him and leaned in and upward for a kiss. He seemed only too happy to oblige.

"Tonight," I whispered against his mouth.

"Tonight," he promised.

Back at my apartment, I knew I had a lot to do to get ready for tonight. First was the long shower that I had missed so much. I scrubbed my leg carefully, shaved everything and lathered up every part of me. Showers are such luxuries. I completed the 'pamper me' session by fixing my hair in soft waves and dashing on a new spray cologne I had been wanting to try.

Standing in front of my closet, I was worried about what to wear. My leg wasn't exactly ready for short skirts, so I had to settle for a pair of low waist slacks that hugged my hips and did something for my butt. I topped it off with a halter shirt that was pretty daring, and covered that with a filmy cropped sweater. I checked myself out in the mirror. Since the outfit didn't allow for a bra and the pants were rather tight, I was forgoing underwear period. I flashed to a scene of Lester removing my clothing piece by piece. He would know that there was nothing underneath. I didn't care about sending him messages, I was past that point. I was flaunting that I wanted him. The past six weeks had been celibate torture. Lester and I worked through my issues with Ranger and Joe. We worked past his rep and his job. We worked ourselves right into becoming something that neither of us had experienced before. It was comfortable and exciting at the same time.

I heard the door and knew he had found a way in. I walked into the living room and the sight before me stole my breath away. Lester stood there holding roses and smiled approvingly at me. Somehow I managed to move my feet and found myself standing in front of him, accepting the flowers. His kiss was tender, yet definitely hot.

"You look fabulous, honey. Put those flowers in some water and let's get out of here while we still can," he said.

I smiled up at him. I knew the feeling. I was beyond ready to move to the next step of this relationship. I was ready to bust with anticipation. I moved into the kitchen, put the flowers in a vase that was waiting on the counter and turned back to run right into Lester's impressive chest. I couldn't help myself, I allowed my hands to wonder. It felt so right.

"Baby, please stop. I'm barely holding on to what little control I have," he whispered.

The thing is I didn't want to stop. "I'm not asking to hold onto it. Maybe I need you to lose control," I whispered back.

That was all it took. The next thing I knew, he had me up in his arms and was striding toward my bedroom. He stood me up next to the bed and just looked at me.

"Stephanie, is this what you want?" he asked quietly.

Words weren't enough here. I told his face between my hands, bent his head down and kissed him for all I was worth. Oh yeah, this was what I wanted. I wanted him. I wanted it all.

"Honey, you need to understand that I'm falling in love with you. If we do this, we do it right. We commit to each other. No one else from here on out. Is that what you want?"

"Yes, Les, that's what I want," I sighed. "I want you to make love to me, to hold me in the morning. To be there when I need you just as I want to be there when you need me." My voice broke. In the past couple of weeks, I was learning what relationships could be like. We talked on the phone everyday. He called me to say goodnight. He told me when he had a job that took him out-of-town. We dated, despite the cast. He went as far as to get me a wheelchair so that we could go to the mall. He actually took me to the mall. I was still not over that one.

Lester was starting on my clothes, so it was past time for me to start on his. Our hands made short work of them and soon we were nestled in the bed, as if it was were we always belonged. We kissed and explored and scrambled to get closer to each other. He made me crazy and by all appearances I did the same for him. When we finally came together, it was something that couldn't be described. It was pleasure and more. It was something so deep, so wonderful that I could just lie there wondering what in the world just happened.

"Honey, are you all right?" he asked, his face spoke of his concern.

I shifted to face him. In the waning light, he looked like a warrior of sorts, his hair wild and his eyes dark and slightly mysterious. I ran my hands over that hair, touched his eyebrows. "I'm more than all right. I just can't find the words."

He hugged me closer, as if he too was at a loss for words. "Yeah, scary huh?" He laughed.

I snuggled closer, "Les, would you be upset if I said that I was falling in love with you too?"

He didn't answer, but rolled up both around on the bed until he covered me like a blanket. "Baby, that's the best news I've heard all day."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I told you Joe, I'm fine," I snapped. Morelli was called on scene when I ended up in yet another vehicular debacle. "Jesus, when will this ever stop."

I was sitting on the side of the road, watching my car being towed away. I saw black boots enter my range of vision. Ranger was here.

"Babe," he began. "Need a lift?"

I glanced up to see both Ranger and Morelli standing beside each other in front of me. The unholy alliance I told myself.

"Yeah, I do. Can you drop me off at my house?" My house was actually Lester's house, but since he was mine for real, I took it to mean that the house was mine too.

Ranger was in the zone as he drove me home. I glanced over at him and saw his eyes flicker over to me. "Problem, Babe?"

"I was just wondering if anyone told Lester about the car," I said. I was really hoping no one did because I would pay for that once he got home. If I didn't let him know first, he was pretty pissy about it.

"I didn't call him, but I can't vouch for the control room. You'd better call him right away. Where's your cell?" Ranger probably already knew it was in the car when the bomb went off.

"I'll call him from home." I settled back against the seat. Ranger had accepted my relationship with Lester, but it wasn't easy on him. We talked a few times about it and then decided that we would be better off as friends anyway. I doubt he really felt that way, but was trying to make me feel more at ease with him. I guess it worked a little.

He dropped me off in front of the townhouse, not bothering to check the house out first. He knew Lester's security. I used the key fob that luckily had been in my pocket to open the door. The house even smelled like home. Ella's cousin, Ann-Marie, was our housekeeper. She left food in the fridge and kept the house cleaner than I could ever had done. Lester had done a wonderful job with the place. The size was surprising. There was one large living space with a kitchen and bar area downstairs as well as an office. Upstairs held a guest room and one of the largest master suites I had ever seen in a townhouse. The bathroom was designed with me in mind, or so Lester said.

I rushed upstairs and grabbed the house phone from the nightstand. I quickly dialed his number.

"Yo," came his instant response.

"Hey, baby, how's it going today?" Keep the tone light, Stephanie, I told myself.

"Stephanie Santos, you lost another car!" he blasted.

"It wasn't my fault," I shouted.

"Honey, it never is. Stay away from my truck. I love that truck," Lester kidded.

"Yes, but you love me more," I teased back.

"You know I do. Baby, I hate it when the control room calls me about you. I hate waiting for you to call to hear your voice so that I know you're all right," he sounded serious, but not angry.

"I'm sorry. My cell was in the car. I'll tell you all about it when you get home. That will be when?" I was missing him terribly.

"Tomorrow. I'll be there tomorrow when you wake up," he said with a sigh.

"Can't wait to see you," I whispered. He had been in Boston nearly a week. The guys rotated Boston assignments. It was Lester's turn and it was only fair that he took it. Of course, we had only been married three weeks, so I felt a bit cheated.

"Ranger treating you okay?" Lester's rich voice broke into my thoughts.

"Sure, fine. Of course, he sent my husband off the week after we returned from our honeymoon, so that needs to be considered as well," I pouted.

Lester laughed, "We both knew it was coming. It just makes coming home so much sweeter."

We finished our conversation with a promise that he'd call me tonight. He did agree to let me use his truck, which made me happy. I had to replace my cell phone, but figured Ranger had already seen to that.

Life was settling down for me. I never really thought I would ever get married again. I never knew I could want to, but things were different with Lester than with anyone I had ever been with. I felt Joe was trying to make me the Burg; Ranger wouldn't commit to anything longer than a week at a time. For a while, I considered that I could work with Ranger's restrictions, but in the end, I felt that something was missing. Lester fit well with my family; he even conspired with Grandma Mazur on a couple of occasions. He was fine with my bounty hunter work and even fine that I blew up the occasional car. He preferred it when I worked for Rangeman because we had more time together, but he wasn't overly possessive. He was cool with the guys hugging me and even caught Ranger kissing me once. He told me that he was secure in our relationship and that since I didn't initiate the kiss, it was okay by him. Of course, I think he said something to Ranger, but I can't prove it.

Joe married the nurse, Janet. He and Janet were settled into Aunt Rose's house and it was really taking shape. Janet had replaced all the curtains and I heard a rumor that Morelli had even painted the living room. I didn't' attend the wedding, by mutual agreement, and he didn't attend mine. We agreed to be friends, but there were some things we didn't press each other on.

Ranger was usually all business. He didn't come to the wedding either. Lester and I decided to elope. His brother and my sister were pretty much the only family present. Lula and Tank joined us as well and we spent the weekend in Vegas seeing shows and gambling. When we returned, I found a box in the living room of Lester's house with my name on it. Inside was a photo album, a plate on the front was engraved to read "Lester & Stephanie Santos". Opening the album and expecting blank pages, I was amazed to find photos taken of me and Lester at various places. I recognized that many were surveillance photos, but there were others that appeared to have been taken with a camera phone. There were even photos of me and the other Merry men, but only one of me and Ranger. I touched his face in the photo. He was smiling down at me as he was shaking Lester's hand. I removed the photo. On the back in Ranger's unmistakable handwriting read 'you made the right choice'.

Thinking back on the album and that moment, I teared up again. I was grateful that Ranger knew himself, and me, well enough to let me go. He made sure that I realized that I wasn't what Joe needed and he wasn't what I needed. He respected Joe and he loved me, just not the same way that Lester did. I touched the album where it laid on the coffee table. I looked around the room. I was finally home, I thought. I was finally in touch with who I was and found someone who both respected and tolerated all parts of me. I brushed my fingers across the names on the album. It had taken me quite a while, but I was happy with my life, my relationship, my family and my friends. I felt like I could have it all and best yet, I was still flying high.

Never the end...

AN: Okay, so I end this story here because I have a party to attend. The part about the album and the comments Steph makes at the end are all a part of my RL. I found my "Lester". Love you, Larry!


End file.
